1.21 blog

Yesterday I preached from Acts 5.12-16, which shows the Apostles engaged in miraculous acts of service. We saw that the miracles functioned as signs, pointing to Jesus Christ as the source of the new creation. I spent part of my time explaining that, with the advent of Quantum Physics, our scientific models now allow for at least the possibility of the “miraculous” happening. As a result, people are generally more open to the idea of miracles (at least people under about 35).

That being said, though, I think that a lot of times the church fails to understand miracles. Many times, I’ve heard people describe “miraculous” events in their life (e.g., I was completely out of money, and the bills were due, and then, lo and behold, a check came in the mail for the exact amount I needed). It’s not that I don’t think these things happen: I’ve had them happen to me. But they are not miracles. They should more properly be described as Providence.

The Belgic Confession describes providence like this:

We believe that this good God, after he created all things, did not abandon them to chance or fortune but leads and governs them according to his holy will, in such a way that nothing happens in this world without his orderly arrangement.

Yet God is not the author of, nor can he be charged with, the sin that occurs. For his power and goodness are so great and incomprehensible that he arranges and does his work very well and justly even when the devils and wicked men act unjustly.

We do not wish to inquire with undue curiosity into what he does that surpasses human understanding and is beyond our ability to comprehend. But in all humility and reverence we adore the just judgments of God, which are hidden from us, being content to be Christ’s disciples, so as to learn only what he shows us in his Word, without going beyond those limits.

This doctrine gives us unspeakable comfort since it teaches us that nothing can happen to us by chance but only by the arrangement of our gracious heavenly Father. He watches over us with fatherly care, keeping all creatures under his control, so that not one of the hairs on our heads (for they are all numbered) nor even a little bird can fall to the ground without the will of our Father.

See, providence describes God as being actively involved in the government of his creation. It’s the normal way that the world operates. God uses means to accomplish his ends. For example, in the case of the check arriving, someone wrote the check, mailed it, etc. That’s not a miracle, it is the ordinary working of providence. But that does not make it any less God’s work.

A miracle happens when God works in the world without means. So, a sick person who takes medicine, is healed through providence. But a sick person who is suddenly made well without any medical attention would be a miracle (I would recommend using means, like medicine, rather than hoping for a miracle). When we recognize this, we see that miracles are very rare, and are not normally to be expected.

But this does not mean that God is any less involved in the world. Part of the reason that we misname things miracles is that we’ve lost sight of the doctrine of providence. When we do that, we have no other way to account for the fact that God is taking care of us, sometimes in obvious ways. It’s bad for us to lose sight of providence because, as the confession says, it gives us an “unspeakable comfort.” Everything, not just the miraculous (and not just pleasant things) comes to us from the hands of a loving God.

Ultimately we see God’s providence in the cross of Jesus, where his eternal purposes were put on display and events coalesced into the redemption of God’s people. The cross is the proof, that even when the world seems completely out of control, that God is at work in it for his people’s good.

And, then, of course, he followed it up with the miracle of the resurrection.

For more thoughts on providence, check this post.

Posted by: Gene Schlesinger